Saudi official visits Maine to mend post-Sept. 11 rift

[MaineDem]

A high-ranking Saudi Arabian official visited Portland on Monday, working to repair the post-Sept. 11 image of his country with examples of how it has changed and how it cooperates with the United States.

Saudi Arabia has been a U.S. ally for about 70 years, Adel Al-Jubeir said, and his country was in shock when it learned that 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudis. After shock came denial, he said, and then introspection as the country began to look at conditions that allowed al-Qaida to recruit Saudis for the suicide missions.

"We decided we were going to deal with the issues at hand," said Al-Jubeir.

Al-Jubeir is the foreign affairs adviser to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, approximately the equivalent of national security adviser Condoleeza Rice in the United States. He spoke to more than 100 people at a luncheon sponsored by the Portland Regional Chamber and the World Affairs Council of Maine, and also met with the editorial board of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram.

http://www.pressherald.com/news/local/031028saudi.shtml

He also said this: "Osama bin Laden is as much a Muslim as Jim Jones and the (Ku Klux Klan) are Christian,"

[JM]

1. Meeting with...

...the Northern White House just down the road, was he?

Later,
JM

[thebigidea]

2. uh huh... and not oil biz in Kennebunkport?

[JM]

3. Come to think of it...

the article mentioned "opening up the energy sector for investment" and Bush just announced he is leaving Carlyle...Lot's of money available...

Later,
JM